As an Anglophone that grew up in Quebec (originally from Ontario), I have always taken my access to English material for granted.
I went to English schools—and with a few exceptions, worked for English employers—I was very lucky to be able to grow up surrounded by what I now realize is a rarity. As for my French, I learned this new language eagerly and out of a respect for this beautiful province (not to mention the joy that comes with learning a new language).
As a newcomer to a small town three years ago, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work for an English publication—it was amazing to find such a source of employment in this province—never mind in a small town. In such a strong community, I wasn’t surprised. With so many miles between us (and I mean that quite literally), it is essential to have a publication that is accessible to all—in order to continue to bring us all together. For example, on July 2, I attended Shakespeare in the Park at Grove Hall in Huntingdon—it was an amazing performance—and it was truly heart-warming to see community members huddled together on that lawn. Unfortunately, I only found out about it from a friend. My family, who all attended with great joy (who are all long-time locals, I may add), only found out about it from me—a recent transplant to the area. This isn’t because they aren’t familiar with the Internet—they are. Simply put, they relied on The Gleaner for municipal news—much like we all do. Without ready access to that source of information, they weren’t really sure what was happening in the Chateauguay Valley.
Let’s be honest—the truth is what it is. In order to run a paper, a published paper, you need funding. While you need the support of the community, you also require the financial capacity to support such an endeavour. That being said, I have to admit that I took the liberty of using my mother tongue in my home province for granted—and without a publication, it seems that my language may be, in the end, something that may be on its way to being lost if left to its own devices.
